Advertising device.



W. G. BILLERMAN.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

APPLICAHON FILED APR.1B. m5. nemswao SEPT. 23. 1,224,261,

Patented May 1, 1917.

2 SHIEETS-SIHEET 2.

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WILLIAM G. BILLERMAN, F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

intermittently and consecutively brought to view.

An object of my invention is an improved mechanism for carrying and for actuating the advertising cards.

An object of my invention is to produce an improved advertising device in which a series of advertising cards bearing advertisements upon both sides are intermittently and consecutively brought to view to dis play one side of the cards and then reversed to intermittently and consecutively display the opposite sides of the cards.

These and other objects are attained in the device described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the tracks on which the advertising cards are adapted to be moved in the operation of the device.

Fig. 4 is fragmental perspective view illustrating a detail of the track construction.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating the manner of reversing the advertisement cards at the rear of the device.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line (3-6 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the construction of the advertisement cards and the means employed to maintain the cards in their reverse positions.

The advertisement device embodying my invention comprises a frame 7, and series of advertisement cards 8 mounted on carriers 9 which are reciprocally mounted on tracks 10 and 11 mounted in the frame, and mecha-= nism 12 adapted to move the carrier on the tracks.

The frame 7 is preferably constructed to form a casing for the elements of the device Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917'.

Renewed September 23, 1916. Serial No. 121,903.

and is adapted to support the tracks 10 and 11 upon which the carriers 9 move. These tracks consist of metal strips 13 and 14: spaced apart to receive the support pins 15 of the carriers 9 and are supported from the sides of the frame by means of brackets 16 and from the top of the frame by means of brackets 17. The carrier-s consist of transversely extending rods 18 having reduced ends adapted to form the support pins 15 and depending arms 19 at the lower ends of which the advertisement cards 8 are pivotally mounted. Upon the support pins 15 I preferably mount rollers 20 which engage the tracks and permit the carriers to be moved with slight expenditure of power. The advertisement cards which are pivotally mounted at the lower ends of the carrier arms 19, bear advertisements on the opposite sides which are inverted with relation to one another. The advertisements on the front sides 21 of the cards facing the open fronts 22 and 22" of the machine through which the cards are visible, are upright so that they may be read and pre sented to view at the open front. The advertisements upon the rear sides of the cards are inverted, so that as the cards move backwardly toward the rear of the machine they are automatically turned over or reversed in such a manner as to present these inverted advertisements in their cor rect upright positions when presented again to the open fronts 22 and 22 of the device.

In order to move the cards backwardly from the front to the rear of the machine as each consecutive card is presented to view before the open fronts 22 and 22, I have provided mechanism consisting of sprockets 23,24,25, 26,27 and 28. The sprockets and 24 are located at the front of the machine and are connected by means of a chain 29 passing over them. This chain is provided with two pins 30 and 31 which are located opposite one another and extend outwardly from the chain in such a position as to engage the rollers 20 mounted on the pivot pins 15 of the card carriers 9. These pins 30 and 31 are located at equal distances apart on the chain so that when one card has been lifted by means of one of the fingers or pins to the upper portion of the track as shown in Fig. 1, the lower pin 31 is in position to engage another pivot pin of the next card carrier located on the lower horizontal portion. of the tracks. This mechanism is duplicated on the opposite side of the machine so that the pivot pins on the opposite sides of the carriers will be engaged by pins similar to the pins 30 and 31 and will move the opposite pins of the carrier simultaneously with the pivot pins on the first mentioned sides. In order to operatively connect these mechanisms, the shaft 32 which mounts the sprockets 23 is extended across the machine and mounts a similar sprocket forming a portion of the mechanism located on the opposite side of the machine. On one end of the shaft 32 a pulley 33 is mounted, which connects by means of a driving belt 34 with a suitable source of power such as a motor 35. This mechanism located at the front of the machine cooperates with a similar mechanism located at the rear of the machine, but which is provided not for the purpose of raising the advertisement cards from the lower horizontal portion of the track to the upper horizontal portion thereof, as is the front mechanism, but for gradually lowering the advertisement cards as they reach the rear of the machine, so that they are dropped under restraint along the rear vertical portion of the track. This mechanism located at the rear of the machine and which cooperates with the front raising mechanism comprising the sprockets 23, 24 and the chain 29, is operatively connected with the mecha nism located at the front of the machine by means of any suitable driving connection such as the belt 36 passing over the pulleys 37 and 38 mounted on the respective front and rear mechanisms. The rear mechanism which provides for gradually lowering the advertisement cards from the top horizontal portion to the lower horizontal portion of the tracks, is somewhat more complicated than the mechanism employed at the front of the machine since the amount of mechanism is doubled in the rear mechanism. This rear mechanism consists of the sprockets 25 and 26 over which the chain 41 passes. The chains 41 and 42 are provided with pins 43, 44, and pins 45 and 46, the pins 43 and 44 being located in such a position as to engage opposite sides of the pivot pins 15 of each of the carriers, and the pins 45 and 46 being located in such a position as to cooperate in engaging opposite sides of each of the pivot pins of the neXt adjacent card carrier. As in the case of the front raising mechanism comprising the sprockets 23, 24 and the chain 29, the rear mechanism just described is duplicated on opposite sides of the machine and the sprockets 27 are connected by the shaft 47 extending transversely of .the machine. In order that the two portions of the rear card lowering mechanism may be operatively connected to move in unison I have provided the gears 48 and 49 which are duplicated on the opposite side of the machine and which positively assure that the pins 43 and 44, and the pins 45 and 46 will engage opposite sides of each of the pivot pins of each card carrier in gradually lowering the card carriers from the upper horizontal portions to the lower horizontal portions of the tracks. I

Located at the rear of the device and oooperating with the rear card lowering mechanism is the means employed for reversing the cards as they move from the top horizontal portions to the bottom horizontal portions of the tracks. This means for reversing the cards consists merely of an angle bar 50 which extends transversely of the casing and is adapted to engage the the horizontal flange 53 thereof. The card i will then assume the positions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5 as the carriers are gradually lowered between the chain pins 43 and 44 or between the chain pins 45 and 46, and as the carriers continue to be lowered the upper portion of the card swings lower and lower to the rear until the card occupies a position somewhat inclined to the rear of the horizontal at which time a means which I have provided for positively reversing the cards, comes into action. This means consists of cylindrical and spherical weights 51 which are reciprocally mounted in ways or passages formed in the opposite vertical edges of the cards. The manner of operation of these weights is such that when the card is moved to an inclined position beyond the it to quickly reverse and to be held in the reverse position because of the center of gravity havlng been changed by the movement of the weights. lVith the card thus reversed it is ready to occupy the lower horizontal portions of the tracks and to be brought adjacent to the previously reversed cards. l/Vhen the cards are brought to occupy the upper horizontal portions of the tracks, means must be provided for preventing the cards from dropping through the front and rear vertical portions of the tracks to the lower horizontal portions thereof. For this purpose I have provided means at the front of the horizontal portions of the tracks, which consist in raising the track slightly to form arches or curves 52 and 53 in the respective strips 13 and 14, which permit the pins 15 of the carriers 9 to be moved there between during the raising of the cards from the lower horizontal to the upper horizontal portions of the tracks, but when once brought to occupy the upper horizontal portions of the tracks beyond the arches 52 and 53, will positively prevent the carriers from dropping back through the front vertical portions of the tracks because the rollers 20 mounted on the pins 15 of the carriers would have to ride over the arches 53. At the rear of the upper horizontal portions of the tracks I have provided pawls 54 which may be either spring pressed or weighted to engage the rollers 20 mounted on the pivot pins of the carriers in order to prevent the carriers from dropping at the wrong time through the rear vertical portions of the tracks. The bearings for the sprockets 23, 24,25, 26, 27 and 28 upon both sides of the machine are preferably constructed and attached to the tracks in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 for the purpose of assuring positive aline-. ment of the card moving mechanisms and the tracks. I

In operation:

My device is particularly intended to be operated in connection with street or stop indicators such as disclosed in my Patent 1,086,581, although any suitable form of mechanism which is adapted to intermittently close the circuit to the motor 35 may be employed for adapting my improved advertising device to use in store windows and similar places. The indicator or circuit closing device is diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings of the present application by the switch 55. The operation of this improved advertising device, when the circuit is closed is to cause the motor 35 to operate and thereby drive the card lifting mechanism comprising the sprockets 23, 24 and chain 29, located at the front of the machine, and through the connecting belt 36 which passes over the pulleys 37 and 38 to drive the card lowering mechanism comprising the sprockets 25, 26 and chain 41 which passes over the sprockets 25 and 26, together with its coperating card lowering mechanism comprising the sprockets 27, 28 and chain 42 passing over the sprockets 27 and 28. In the operation of the card lifting mechanism one of the pins 30 or 31 is brought into engagement with the rollers 20 located on the pivot pins 15 of the first one of the card carriers 9 located on the lower horizontal portions of the track toward the front of the device. Continued operation of the card lifting mechanism causes the pins 31 to lift the card carrier from the lower horizontal portions of the tracks through the forward vertical portions, and finally to push the pivot pins of the carrier over the arches 53 of the tracks, for the purpose of positively placing and locatingthe card in position on the upper horizontalportions of the track. 'lVith the card in this position the advertisement contained thereon will be visible through the open front 22 of the frame. At the time that the pins 31 have placed the pins 15 of the first card carrier in position in the upper horizontal portions of the tracks, the pins 30 secured to the chain 29 at points opposite to the pins 31, have been brought into engagement with the pivot pins of the next adjacent card carrier located on the lower horizontal portions of the tracks. The manner of moving the carriers in position to be engaged by the pins 30 or 31 will be hereinafter described.

As each of the carriers is placed in position on the upper horizontal portions of the tracks, the previous carriers are pushed along the horizontal portions until the first carrier which was lifted has been brought into engagement with the pawls 54 so that the pins 43 or 46 will engage the pivot pins of the carrier. Continued movement of the mechanism will cause the card lowering mechanism located at the rear of the device to bring one of its pins into engagement with the pivot pins of the carrier in engagement with the pawls 54 and will carry the pivot pins from under the pawls until they have been brought into the rear vertical portions of the tracks. At this time the mechanism comprising the sprockets 27, 28 and chain 42 which carries the pins 44 and 45, has been brought to such a position that one of its pins, as for example its pin 44 has previously been brought beneath the pins of the carrier so that the pins in their downward movement through the rear vertical portions of the tracks will rest upon the pins 44 and be controlled thereby. The pin 43 on the chain 41 is so located with reference to the pin 44 on the chain 42 that it occupies a position on top of the pins 15 of the carrier and positively assures movement of the pins downwardly in the rear vertical portions of the tracks while the pins 44 permit the pins 15 of the carrier to move slowly downwardly. At the bottom of the rear vertical portions of the tracks the pins 15 of the carrier are released and permitted to enter the lower horizontal portions of the tracks.

During the downward movement of the carriers from the upper horizontal portions of the tracks through the rear vertical portions thereof, the angle bar 50 causes reversal of the advertisement cards in the following manner: As the carriers have been moved along the upper horizontal portions in their travel from the front to the rear of the device, the lower edge of each consecutive card is brought into engagement with the vertical flange 52 of the angle bar 50 which extends transversely of the machine, and as the carrier is lowered through the rear vertical portions of the tracks the lower edge of each card is brought into engage- LAL ment with the horizontal flange 53' of the angle bar 50 so as to cause the upper portions of the cards to swing rearwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 thereby causing the carrier arms 19 to assume angular positions with relation to the vertical portions of the tracks as shown in Fig. 1. As thecarrier is permitted to drop through the rearward vertical portions of the tracks the card is caused to assume a more and more inclined position and to finally assume a horizontal position and then to incline in the opposite direction to the inclination first given the card. This opposite inclination causes the weights 51 located in the edges of the cards to slide from the bottom edge to the top edge and to over balance the top of the card and to cause it to fall suddenly downwardly to bring the top edge to the bottom and to bring the bottom edge to the top. This presents the previously inverted advertisement to the front of the machine in a right side up position. With the card in this reversed position the carrier is permitted to gradually drop and to occupy the lower horizontal portions of the tracks.

As each consecutive card is brought from the upper horizontal portions of the track to the lower horizontal portions thereof, it will force the card which has previously been brought to occupy the lower horizontal portions, farther toward the front of the device and'will finally force the entire number of cards located in the bottom horizontal portions forwardly so that the first card dropped is brought into position to be engaged by the pins 30 or 31 of the card lifting mechanism. With the cards thus brought into position, operation of the card lifting mechanism will cause the card to be gradually raised into position over the arches 53 and into the top horizontal portions of the tracks. As each consecutive card is raised in this manner to occupy the top horizontal portions of the tracks the card, previously raised will be forced rearwardly along these portions of the tracks until the first raised card is brought into engagement with the pawls 54 previous to being lowered through the rear vertical portions of the tracks and in position to be engaged by either the pins 43 or the pins 46 located on the chain 41 of the card lowering mechanism. In order to render my improved advertisement device operative, enough advertisement cards and mounting carriers are provided to completely fill the upper and lower horizontal portions of the tracks, with two carriers and cards in excess so that these extra carriers and cards will cause the trains of cards located in the upper and lower horizontal portions, to move forwardly in order to bring the first cards of each train into position to be engaged by the pins located on the chains 29 and 41, so that the cards may be constantly moved in a step by step manner as the cards are brought to occupy the respective upper and lower horizontal portions after having passed from the front to the rear of the upper horizontal portion and from the rear to the front of the lower horizontal portion into position to be engaged by the pins located 0n the chains 29 and 41. It will be seen that by means of my improved advertisement device, twice the number of different advertisements are provided as there are cards, since each card bears two advertisements and is automatically reversed at the rear of the machine to present a different advertisement to view in front of the open space 22 of the frame. In this manner the machine is rendered more compact and the number of advertisements is doubled for the number of cards located in the device, over the number of advertisements supplied with ordinary machines of this type.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is;

1. An advertisement device comprising a series of intermittently movable and reversible advertising cards, tracks adapted to movably mount the cards, means located adjacent to the tracks and adapted to reverse the cards when they are moved, and shiftable weights mounted in the cards and adapted to cooperate with the means to reverse the cards after the cards have engaged the means.

2. In an advertising device'the combination of a series of advertising cards, a frame, tracks mounted on the" frame, carriers mounted on the tracks and adapted to pivotally mount the cards, a transversely ex tending bar located in the path of travel of the lower edge of the cards and adapted to be engaged by the cards in their movement, whereby movement of the lower edges of the cards will be arrested to permit their upper edges and the carriers to swing relatively to one another and to the tracks, whereby the cards will be reversed, and mechanism adapted to intermittently move the carriers.

3. In combination in an advertising device a series of advertising cards adapted to contain advertisements on each of their sides, a frame, tracks mounted on the frame, carriers mounted on the tracks and adapted to 'pivotally mount the cards, a transversely extending bar located in the path of travel of the lower edge of the cards and adapted to be engaged by the cards in their move ment, whereby movement of the lower edge of the cards will be arrested to permit their upper edges and the carriers to swing relatively to one another and to the track, shiftable weights mounted in passages formed in the vertical edges of the cards, and adapted to shift from one transverse edge to the In testimony whereof, I have hereunto opposite transverse edge of each card When subscribed my name this 9th day of April, the cards are swung by the transversely eX- 1915.

tending bar, whereby the cards will be re- WILLIAM G. BILLERMAN. versed and supported in their reversed posi- Witnesses:

tions and mechanism adapted to intermit- ANNA E. MONEELY,

tently move the carriers. HENRY J. SEELIGMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

